WASHINGTON, March 5 —President Donald Trump defended his tariff policy in his first address of his second term before a joint session of Congress, asserting that the United States has long faced unfair trade practices from several nations, including India.
“If you don’t make your product in America under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff, and in some cases, a rather large one,” Trump said. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn.”
Listing nations he claimed impose high tariffs on U.S. goods, Trump named India, the European Union, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada. “Have you heard of them?” he said, drawing laughter from his supporters. “They charge us tremendously high tariffs compared to what we charge them. It’s very unfair.”
Trump singled out India’s auto tariffs, stating, “India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 percent.” He also pointed to China’s tariff rates, saying they were twice what the U.S. imposes, while South Korea’s were four times higher.
Announcing a policy shift, Trump declared that the U.S. would impose reciprocal tariffs starting April 2. “I wanted to make it April 1st, but didn’t want it to be accused of being an April Fools’ joke,” he quipped. “Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them. A reciprocal back-and-forth. If they use non-monetary barriers to keep us out of their markets, we will do the same.”
Trump’s remarks drew a standing ovation from his allies in Congress. The announcement followed the U.S. decision to proceed with 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, two of its largest trade partners, and to double tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 20 percent, citing Beijing’s alleged inaction on fentanyl production.
